A battery compartment switch is frequently used to switch hearing aids on and off. The battery compartment can be opened to a latch position, thereby breaking the electric circuit. Such battery compartments are relatively susceptible to error and require a lot of space in the hearing aid housing. It is also extremely difficult to achieve a watertight seal.
In addition to these battery compartment switches, standard switches and buttons are of course also used to switch hearing aids on and off. These standard switching devices however have the disadvantage that they require a large amount of space in the hearing aid housing.
A remotely controlled hearing aid is known from DE 36 42 828 C3, which can be switched on and off using an external control device. A remote control can therefore be used to switch the hearing aid on and off.
A method is also known from EP 1 301 060 A1 for detecting acoustic parameters for the adjustment of hearing aids. With the known method the acoustic parameters of the ear are determined by measuring the impedance of the auditory canal.
An automatic hearing aid switch is also known from the publication FR 27 0088 7 A3. This operates on a magnetic basis. If an object containing a magnet moves into the vicinity of the hearing aid, the hearing aid is switched accordingly.
A hearing aid with a sensor circuit is also known from the publication DE 38 04 526 C, which is switched on upon insertion into the auditory canal. The electrical connection is thereby measured between two sensor arcs.
The Japanese publication JP 11 27 56 94 A also describes a hearing aid that can be switched on and off using an infrared sensor. As soon as the hearing aid is inserted into the auditory canal, the infrared sensor detects a corresponding signal and switches the hearing aid on.